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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26651623">How to Be a Heartbreaker</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winter_Lazuli/pseuds/Winter_Lazuli'>Winter_Lazuli</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Solve It (Haiku Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Inspired by Music, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, Songfic, poor communication</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:08:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,461</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26651623</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winter_Lazuli/pseuds/Winter_Lazuli</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After their fight, she doesn't know what to do. Then she ends up in a bar and makes a friend.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>MC/T.S Logan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>How to Be a Heartbreaker</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Some notes about this fic: </p><p>-Set right after the fight in Solve It 3.<br/>-MC and Logan don't talk about things after the case and things are awkward (deviates from canon).<br/>-Shawn Vance is an original character. He is not meant to be an LI.<br/>-Song used is "How to be a Heartbreaker" by Marina.</p><p>I hope I got everyone right here -nervous sweatdrop-<br/>Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em><span class="u">Rule number one, is that you gotta have fun<br/>
But baby when you're done, you gotta be the first to run</span> </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She wondered why she was here. It was ironic of her to be here right now. Well, not fully ironic, but still: she just had a fight with a drunk man. Her drunk partner. Her drunk partner who she may or may not feel more strongly about.</p><p> </p><p>So why was she in a bar?</p><p> </p><p>She looked around, taking in the bright lights, the loud music, the joyful people. <em>Nope</em>, she decided, <em>not tonight. </em>She moved to leave, but before she got her foot out the door, she did something you shouldn’t do when you try to leave a place unnoticed. She made eye contact with someone.</p><p> </p><p>Well, he seemed friendly enough as he stood up and walked over to her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">Rule number two, just don't get attached to<br/>
Somebody you could lose</span> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Are you serious right now? And this was a week ago?”</p><p> </p><p>Her new companion (Shawn, she had learned not long after) laughed out an answer, the way she had laughed out the question.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, too serious. She dumped me just like that. All over a debate over whether anchovies were better on a pizza than pineapple. Apparently, she felt really strongly about the presence of salty fish on a cheesy triangle.”</p><p> </p><p>She sighed after her latest laughing fit, catching her breath. “That is one of the more out there reasons for a break up I’ve ever heard.”</p><p> </p><p>“Amen to that.” Shawn lifted his Spritz. “A toast, to weird reasons to breaking up.”</p><p> </p><p>She lifted her own drink (she had the same as Shawn did, his recommendation after she had said she was a lightweight) and smiled. “To weird reasons to breaking up.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">So le-let me tell you</span> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>14 minutes later, she walked out alone, a spring in her step and a new contact number in her phone.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em><span class="u">This is how to be a heartbreaker<br/>
Boys they like a little danger<br/>
We'll get him falling for a stranger<br/>
A player, singing I lo-lo-love you</span> </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>He’s blonde, more on the lean side, and I can actually see the top of his head, </em>she mentally recalled as she moved about her apartment, readying for bed. She was still mostly aware, which was really nice. Turns out Shawn knew his drinks.</p><p> </p><p><em>He’s kind of a hyper-sounding guy, though I guess that comes from being a barista who buys the drinks during his break to deal with the need for a nap. </em>She eyed her own bed, and normally she’d be crashing on it right now. But she didn’t drink enough for that this time.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">How to be a heartbreaker</span><br/>
<span class="u">Boys they like the look of danger<br/>
We'll get him falling for a stranger<br/>
A player, singing I lo-lo-love you</span> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Still, she needed to sleep. So she lay down, putting up a valiant attempt at it. The attempt lasted all of 2 minutes before she got a text.</p><p> </p><p><strong> <em>Shawn Vance:</em> </strong> <em> Didn’t expect meeting you tonight, but I’m glad I did! </em> <em>J</em></p><p><strong> <em>Shawn Vance: </em> </strong> <em>I’m back home, bout to sleep. You got home safe?</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>She laughed. She felt like she’d known him for longer than one night. Maybe it was the little bit of alcohol she took talking.</p><p> </p><p><strong> <em>You: </em> </strong> <em>Yep, I did, thanks! Right back at you, nice meeting you!</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>She only waited 3 minutes for a reply.</p><p> </p><p><strong> <em>Shawn Vance: </em> </strong> <em>Good luck with the case! You’re gonna get that ass! </em></p><p><strong> <em>Shawn Vance: </em> </strong> <em>oh fuck that came out wrong</em></p><p><strong> <em>Shawn Vance: </em> </strong> <em>sorry</em></p><p><strong> <em>Shawn Vance: </em> </strong> <em>disregard that</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>She laughed a little louder and set to her last reply of the night.</p><p> </p><p><strong> <em>You: </em> </strong> <em>No worries, I know what you mean. Thanks for the pep talk, have a good night! :)</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">At least I think I do</span> </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">'Cause I lo-lo-lo-love you</span> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She walked out of the office a few days later, relieved to be done with the case. It always felt great whenever they’d solved it. But a bit of that relief was because she wasn’t in the same room with Logan anymore. They had barely been able to talk since that night, and it felt awkward bringing up anything personal now. Maybe in another world, things between them were alright now. That version of them had patched things up, maybe said something they had wanted to say to each other, maybe made plans.</p><p> </p><p>But this wasn’t that version of them.</p><p> </p><p>Her phone was in her hand in a few minutes.</p><p> </p><p><strong> <em>You: </em> </strong> <em>Got the ass! ;)</em></p><p><strong> <em>You:</em> </strong> <em> I’m gonna swing by for a celebratory coffee</em></p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>She knew he was on his break. He had told her his break times in case she ever dropped by in need of an energy boost.</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t expect a reply that quickly though.</p><p> </p><p><strong> <em>Shawn Vance: </em> </strong> <em>Congrats! Cup’s on me. I insist. I’m going back on shift now</em></p><p><strong> <em>Shawn Vance: </em> </strong> <em>Still not letting me live down that text I see</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>She headed over to the coffee shop with purpose.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">Rule number three, wear your heart on your cheek<br/>
But never on your sleeve, unless you wanna taste defeat</span> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>It had been a month since the bar.</p><p> </p><p>The two were currently at a park on one of Shawn’s days off, sitting on a bench and eating ice cream. She had gotten vanilla with strawberry pieces mixed in, and was currently bickering with Shawn over his insistence that his choice, coffee with caramel ribbons, was the superior flavor.</p><p> </p><p>“Even after trying it, you’re still insisting on vanilla and strawberries? I’d get it if you got strawberry ice cream with vanilla toppings, but can’t you make vanilla with strawberries at home?” Shawn argued, grinning.</p><p> </p><p>“Well sorry for being a traditional flavors kind of woman!” She laughed.</p><p> </p><p>Shawn’s laughter stopped and his smile dimmed. “I don’t wanna ruin the good time here, but this is reminding me of… you know.”</p><p> </p><p>Her laughing fit stopped, her hand moving to pat him on the back in an attempt at comforting him. “It feels so normal to bicker over flavors and toppings, I’m surprised that was the reason she called it quits.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.” He nodded. “It’s kind of losing its humor for me though. I miss her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you try apologizing to her?”</p><p> </p><p>“I did, the day after we fought, but I guess I tried at a bad time. She wasn’t in the best mood when I did, and now I feel like I messed it up too badly.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, what’s stopping you from checking on her and apologizing now? She might be more willing to hear you out after a bit of space.”</p><p> </p><p>“What if she’s still angry at me though? What if she really meant it when she said it’s over?”</p><p> </p><p>“Like you said, she wasn’t in the best mood at the time. She might be calmer now. If she still doesn’t want to hear you out after you try again, then that’s your cue that it’s time to let her go and work on moving on.”</p><p> </p><p>“You think it’ll work?”</p><p> </p><p>“There’s a good chance. But you’ll never know if you don’t try.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">Rule number four, gotta be looking pure<br/>
Kiss him goodbye at the door, and leave him wanting more, more</span> </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>It had been a month since he started seeing her with a guy he didn’t know.</p><p> </p><p>The two were currently at a park, sitting on a bench and eating ice cream. She had gotten what looked like vanilla from afar (like usual), and was currently bickering with him over something.</p><p> </p><p>They looked like they were having fun.</p><p> </p><p>Logan kept his distance, not wanting them to spot him. He hadn’t meant to run into them. He had just gone out on the insistence of Toni, who had insisted that he actually get some sunlight and fresh air. To quote “you’re like a plant, you still need vitamins and fresh oxygen.” He hadn’t meant to notice them and immediately wonder what was going on between them.</p><p> </p><p>The guy suddenly looked more solemn, and she’d stopped laughing too. She moved to comfort him.</p><p> </p><p>The way she tried to the night of their fight.</p><p> </p><p>They were talking more quietly now, and he was looking at her earnestly, like the guy was saying something serious. It took everything in him to not go over and ruin the moment right now.</p><p> </p><p>She smiled at him. It wasn’t one of her polite “thank you for cooperating and answering our questions” smiles he saw whenever they were dealing with a suspect. It was one of her genuine, more personal smiles. The kind of smile he mostly saw when she was around him.</p><p> </p><p>He missed those smiles.</p><p> </p><p>He’d originally learned of his assistant’s new friend when Ashford dropped by for a visit. It had mostly been small talk with her, but then he dropped a bombshell question (at least to him):</p><p> </p><p>“So who’s the guy I’ve been seeing you with lately? He seems nice.”</p><p> </p><p>She had laughed and said that he was just a friend she had met randomly.</p><p>He would have believed that, had it not been for the next visitor they got a few days later. Contra and Morgan had come by, Contra for consultation advice, Morgan for a life update. He was mostly talking with Contra that day, but couldn’t avoid catching Morgan’s excited chatter:</p><p> </p><p>“We’ve been going amazing! I really think he’s the one! By the way, what about you? What’s with tall, blonde, and handsome you’ve been hanging around with lately?” She had once again replied with a laugh that he was just a friend, and that they had met randomly at a bar.</p><p> </p><p>His first question was <em>what was she doing at a bar?</em> He knew between the two of them, he was the drinker. But the second question was <em>who else had seen her with this guy, and why did everyone act like they were some kind of couple?</em></p><p> </p><p>It only got worse when Venus came by to chat about true crime podcasts with her, their latest case having been the subject of one such podcast. He was mostly busy with paperwork, or at least that’s what it looked like. In reality, he was listening in on their conversation.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, by the way, I saw you the other day at that coffee shop downtown with a guy. Blonde hair, lean, dresses casual yet sharp? You guys looked pretty cute and cozy over your lattes and pastries.” She had said it in a slightly teasing, yet cooing tone.</p><p> </p><p>That time had her blushing and quickly saying that they were just friends, slightly stammering all the while.</p><p> </p><p>Now it was his turn to see them, it seems. Ignoring the feeling bubbling up inside him, he left before he could see the rest.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">This is how to be a heartbreaker<br/>
Boys they like a little danger<br/>
We'll get him falling for a stranger<br/>
A player, singing I lo-lo-love you</span> </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>It’s so sweet how sensitive he is, </em>she thought as she walked home from the park. <em>He cares about her well-being, and even when we talk I see it. Up until now, he hasn’t brought up my job. </em></p><p> </p><p>Her phone buzzed with a message, and she saw it was from Shawn.</p><p><strong> <em>Shawn Vance: </em> </strong> <em>Thanks for the advice, I needed that</em></p><p> </p><p>Her fingers danced with a fast reply.</p><p> </p><p><strong> <em>You: </em> </strong> <em>No problem, I’m glad to help! Good luck talking to her!</em></p><p>
  
</p><p><em>He even let me actually say my name when we met! Barely anyone does that. Goes to show that he cares about the person, not just their fame. </em>She lost count of the number of times someone interrupted her whenever she was about to say her name, saying that they knew who she was already. Nobody ever used her name though, giving her the impression that they didn’t really care about it. It wasn’t any skin off her nose. Still, it was a great change of pace when she managed to finish saying her name the night they met.</p><p> </p><p>She felt like she could trust him with things. He clearly seemed to trust her if he went to her for advice on something that mattered to him. In all the time they’d spent together though, she had felt weird about bringing up the fight. Maybe it was a side effect of her line of work. Still, she couldn’t deny that she felt safe enough to let her guard down around him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">How to be a heartbreaker<br/>
Boys they like the look of danger<br/>
We'll get him falling for a stranger<br/>
A player, singing I lo-lo-love you</span> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She and Shawn were definitely only friends. He clearly cared for his girlfriend, and she did care for Logan more than she’d say out loud at the moment. Talking to him felt awkward since the fight. She didn’t know if he felt the same way about the whole thing. It still hurt to hear him say that what they had meant nothing to him. <em>A distraction</em>, she remembered clearly. It was those sentences that had hurt the worst. Every time they had been together meant a lot to her. <em>Maybe it had been the alcohol talking that night, but what if it was really how he felt, and he just didn’t want to say it to me until he had the courage to?</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>She shook her head. She didn’t want to ruin her good mood right now.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">At least I think I do</span> </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">'Cause I lo-lo-love you</span> </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“So… Who’s the tall, blonde, sweetheart Hershel and I saw you with yesterday?”</p><p> </p><p>Jennifer Kobara was the latest in a line of friends and acquaintances who had asked her some variation of that question. It was fun to see people’s reactions when she explained that they weren’t romantically involved, just two people who randomly met and clicked. Ashford had nodded and smiled when she explained their arcade hangout (she had to admit Shawn had beaten her badly at air hockey, which caused the police detective to voice his support for the friendship). Morgan had laughed and mentioned some good stain cleaners and places to grab a good snack at the boardwalk when she mentioned their day out there (he’d dropped mustard on his white shirt; it didn’t look too bad until he accidentally smeared it over his shirt while trying to clean it off). Venus had made a little “ohhh” noise when she brought up how she and Shawn had been browsing books at the bookstore when a little kid mistook them for his parents (as it turned out, they looked pretty similar from behind).</p><p> </p><p>“You mean Shawn? He’s a friend of mine. We met about a month ago; he’s been super fun to hang out with. Where’d you guys see us? I would have said hi!”</p><p> </p><p>Jennifer smiled. “We saw you guys at the mall yesterday. You guys were in the food court, sharing a pizza.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah! We were there yesterday because he asked for my help looking for a gift. We grabbed pizza for lunch. You know, we were looking for a table while waiting for our food, and we thought we found one, but it turned out someone was sitting there, waiting for their dad to come back with their food. So we tried another table, but someone left their stuff there and we saw them come back with their own food. We wound up looking for a solid 5 minutes before we finally sat down, and literally right when we did, our pizza was ready! Poor Shawn had to get up right after he just sat down.”</p><p> </p><p>The spectacled girl laughed. “That’s unfortunate! Was the pizza worth it though?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah. It definitely was.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">Girls, we do, whatever it will take<br/>
'Cause girls don't want, we don't want our hearts to break in two</span> </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Now seemed like a good time. “By the way, is everything okay between you and Logan?”</p><p> </p><p>“Huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you and Shawn kinda seemed like more than just friends, and I remember how close you and Logan were already when I met him… I’m just concerned. We’re friends, and you were there for me.”</p><p> </p><p>Her companion went quiet. It struck her how often people seemed to mistake her and Shawn for a couple, but was that what everyone had thought too?</p><p> </p><p>“Going by how quiet you got, I’m guessing something happened?” Jennifer asked softly, startling her friend out of her thoughts. “Between you and I, you’re the investigator, but even I can tell something’s up. Do you wanna talk about it?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">So it's better to be fake, can't risk losing</span> </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Jennifer had hit the nail right on the head. The girl was smarter than she gave herself credit for. Thankfully, Hershel had been working on that with her. Right now though, it felt awkward. She hadn’t wanted to talk about the fight, feeling bad whenever she did and wanting to avoid the uncertain feelings about their relationship that had sprung up since.</p><p> </p><p>But she knew she couldn’t avoid it forever. And one of the best people to talk about your troubles to was a friend. Shawn didn’t know Logan. He wouldn’t be able to see it from his point of view and tell her what to do.</p><p> </p><p>But Jennifer had met Logan. She knew who he was, and she’d seen them together. She had been a friend to her in college already.</p><p> </p><p>“… Is it okay for me to talk to you about it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course.” Jennifer moved so that she was directly facing her friend. “You don’t even have to ask.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">In love again, ba-abe</span> </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>A few hours later, she was staring at her phone. More specifically, she was staring at her text messages with Logan. The last one had been sent a few mornings earlier, asking if she was stuck in traffic because she was running late. She had simply replied that she was, but that she was almost there.</p><p> </p><p><em>Don’t lose your nerve now,</em> she told herself. <em>Jennifer’s right. You need to stop avoiding the issue.</em></p><p> </p><p>She started typing, and hit the send button before she could stop herself.</p><p> </p><p><strong> <em>You: </em> </strong> <em>Are you free to talk tomorrow?</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">This is how to be a heartbreaker<br/>
Boys they like a little danger<br/>
We'll get him falling for a stranger<br/>
A player, singing I lo-lo-love you</span> </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The next day, she was waiting at the café downtown.</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t expect the fast reply she got from Logan, saying that he was free to meet up. She had quickly said she would be at the café downtown in the afternoon.</p><p> </p><p>So here she was, nervous and staring into her coffee (a bit burnt, but that didn’t matter right now).</p><p> </p><p>The door’s bell jingled, and she turned her head to see Shawn. He was smiling and dressed more sharply than usual. Upon catching sight of her, his smile got wider and he went over to her.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t expect to see you here! You were right. We’re okay now.”</p><p> </p><p>She smiled. “That’s good to hear.”</p><p> </p><p>“We have a date tonight. Gotta catch up on lost time, you know?” His smile turned a bit sheepish. “Anyway, are you waiting for someone here?”</p><p> </p><p>“… Yeah. Yeah, I am.”</p><p> </p><p>Shawn’s smile turned bright again. “Good for you! Don’t worry, everything’s gonna be okay. I’ll see you around, I gotta get going. I don’t wanna be late!”</p><p> </p><p>She nodded, still smiling. “Have a good time, Shawn. And by the way?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks for all your help.”</p><p> </p><p>He smiled a bit brighter. “Same to you.”</p><p> </p><p>With that, he headed to the door, waved at her from it, and left.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">How to be a heartbreaker</span><br/>
<span class="u">Boys they like the look of danger</span><br/>
<span class="u">We'll get him falling for a stranger</span><br/>
<span class="u">A player, singing I lo-lo-love you</span> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Her smile fell and her face went back to nervous. She hoped that Shawn was right. Time felt like it was going so slowly, and with each passing second her anxiety got worse.</p><p> </p><p>The door’s bell rang again. This time, she missed it. She missed the person walking to her and stopping behind her, as if trying to find the right words to say.</p><p> </p><p>“They burnt your coffee again, didn’t they?”</p><p> </p><p>She looked up and turned her head again. This time, she saw Logan. She hesitated a bit, then nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“You were right. They do always mess up my order.” A moment of silence passed between them. “Have a seat?”</p><p> </p><p>He had a faint smile on his face as he nodded and sat down. For the first time since the fight, it didn’t feel awkward being with him.</p><p> </p><p>“So… How’ve you been?”</p><p> </p><p>And as they talked, all the awkwardness faded, giving way to comfort, apologies, and reassurances that they meant a lot to each other. They weren’t nothing to each other, not by a long shot.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">'Cause I lo-lo-lo-love you</span> </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">At least I think I do</span> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>No. She knows she does.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is way longer than my previous Solve It fic (Don't Let It Be the Last Thing I Said was 3 pages long VS this fic, which is 12 pages long)! Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! </p><p>(I gotta learn how to write proper fluff, I've delivered two heaping servings of angst in a row...)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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